GRUMPS The Towman

I know a couple guys from Griffs personally although, I dont know the operator involved. This is about 1-1/2 hours north of me. I was told the Operator was working the curb side of his truck, facing traffic and saw the dump truck coming and was able to get away before impact. A perfect example of situational awareness. I was also told there was no disabled vehicle driver on scene as they were picked up by a friend just before the tow truck arrived. I personally consider this a win for the industry and proper training. Although the tow truck is totaled, and the dump truck driver suffered minor injuries, The Operator was trained properly, was working as safely as possible and had his guard up while working in a dangerous area that not only saved his life, but he ended up with out a scratch on him. He helped to load up his wrecked truck then went back to the shop and got into another truck to finish his shift. Thats a win in my book.

It is a case by case basis for me. If it is a custom car thats lowered and has a big gaudy body kit or something on it that requires extra care and equipment to load it then I charge a specialty vehicle hook fee.

I like it. Alot of times it is how you explain it to the general public/customer that gets their panties in a bunch. Not so much the actual act. Some might say, " Im just gonna drag it back a few feet then snag it from the front." Whereas I would say " I am going to slide your vehicle back a couple feet so I will have room to load and secure your vehicle from the front."

I see no issue with "dragging" (I prefer to call it sliding a vehicle when i explain it to a customer) a vehicle when done properly. even without skates, the speed of the winch is not going to flat spot tires or hurt the parking pawl in the transmission (It is designed to be one of the strongest parts of the driveline system). your sliding it 10-15 feet, not a 1/2 mile at 30 mph. Even if you decide to grab it from the rear with your self loader and pull it back, it is just a matter of steady motion and pressure. dont jerk on it. ease on the throttle. 95% of the time it gets skated when I have to do it but there has been an odd occasion here and there where it is not possible.

We have all had one at times that just refuses to cooperate. Sometimes you have to just take a step back and give yourself a minute to think. I have been there where you start panicking and rushing. It just makes matters worse. There is no shame in calling in for help. A second set of hands and a fresh look at the senario is worth its weight in gold sometimes.

Excellent work. This is the definition of a professional, coordinated response. Well thought out and executed.

It is a case of sheer, untrained laziness... There are so many towers out there that seem to think that setting up dollies is the hardest thing in the world. That is a constant complaint I hear from guys around here. " Oh I had to dolly this one " I have seen guys do everything in their power to avoid dollies to the point they will wait 30-40 minutes for a carrier rather than load up dollies for the 5 mile tow. It drives me nuts.. It is usually the new guys who never had to use the old school all steel pan style dollies.. All you old timers like me know what im talking about. Modern dollies to me are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not to mention what would have been so wrong with rolling the car back a few feet if you were so against dollies? We have a major freight railway that litterally cuts right through downtown here so we have many, many crossings and exposed rail that runs along main arteries of traffic. I get at least 2 calls a month for vehicles on the tracks and the FIRST thing I ask when i arrive on scene is if the railroad has been notified. It happens all the time here so P.D. has it pretty much down pat BUT I ALWAYS VERIFY before putting myself or my equipment anywhere near the tracks. Always remember, complacency KILLS

Nice work. Its fun doing things like this sometimes and experimenting with different rigging. You never know what kinds of new ideas you might come up with that you can apply to that next big recovery.

Very nice work. Well thought out and executed. I Know just the type of " man cry " you described. Nothing feels better than completing a job exactly as planned. 😁

Most states do not allow us to block a lane with out L.E. authorization, but I personally have set up on the shoulder behind an active scene to alert of the oncoming drivers of the scene ahead. I too am all for safety and if i have time will set up behind anyones scene just to give that extra awareness. competitor or not, I dont want anyone to get hit. and if my truck was to get hit during one of these situations then i will deal with it. An Operator going home to his family at the end of the day is worth way more than my truck is.

Well, they certainly didnt give up till they had that truck good and buried. Gotta admire the determination. lol. Nice job on the tug. sure it didnt want to come out

Already completed "drug court" for prior charges.... looks like that worked real well for him so lets do it again..... SEND THIS TRASH TO PRISON....

I gotta say,...... This theft took alot of balls.... I sure hope they find those trucks before they get parted out.. Thats really the only thing i see them doing with them.

Another terrible, tragic accident compounded by a weather event that the region doesnt normally deal with. Maybe we need to start a new campaign instead of slow down move over called "watch your back" or "plan your actions" or something. we MUST control our own movements and actions out there. SDMO does NOTHING for these types of situations. YOU as the responder on scene must plan your actions and movements and watch your back always. you are not invincible out there, your lights, reflective clothing, badges, guns, turnout gear and road cones are NOT an iron shield. your common sense and intelligence are your best protection.

There is obviously a high level of common sense, personal awareness and professionalisim that is required to deal with a particular officer who wants to be difficult or demanding on a scene. I personally have packed up and left quite a few scenes that were not ready to get handed over to me or had a lead officer there who wants to run the show. I have had a few meetings over the years with certain higher-ups and have usually always had positive results. we have numerous L.E. agencies in our area and to be honest, the one I dont do much work for anymore is the state police. And it is not because they dont call me. I just refuse to work with them.They ALL seem to have a chip on their shoulder and ALWAYS look and talk down on you like they are better. Between the county sheriff, park police, city police and the numerous village police departments around here who treat us towers with respect and professionalisim and actually give the scene over to us and provide support and logistics as needed. Yes it can be painful to turn down a job, but in the long run it is worth it. bottom line is, I will do MY job as long as the officer allows me. I salute all tow operators who stand up for themselves and firmly yet politely explain to an officer that WE are the recovery professionals and will handle that phase of the incident and are willing to walk away from a scene that the officer wont release the scene to the professionals or demand unsafe actions.

Another Operator lost to a self centered, worthless drunk. Rest easy operator. your shift is over now.

Yeah !! Just like the old F.D. tiller-trailer ladder companies.... Just backwards.... LMAO

You just gotta love these modern "LCG" carriers. The technology of carriers 10 years ago, this would have been over height. Very nice rig you have there.

This one here I am on the fence with. If its a 5500 Ram then shes good to 19,500. Now I dont know off hand what the weight of the rv is, If I was the operator on scene I would look. If the rv had to go a long distance or on the interstate then this wouldnt do. I will admit, I have gone a little overweight from time to time on short local runs but nothing crazy. 20-2100 lbs.tops. I have a feeling this might fall in that category.

I dont know how some towers and law enforcement interact in other areas but I can tell you that NO law enforcement officer is going to tell me to not only break the law but, abuse my equipment for them. I live and work by a simple credo, " I dont tell L.E. , EMS or FIRE how and when to do their jobs so your NOT going to tell me how to do mine. And to the tow services that are at this particular scene, If you dont have the right equipment for the job, then dont do the job. Your going to run out of luck eventually and kill or hurt someone or yourself.

There is no words....

The 411 is a sweet unit. Small and light yet, very rugged and surprisingly strong for its simplicity. Good buy !!

WTF !!!! Is going on out there..... We cant go 3 Damn days without one of us getting killed or maimed.. WAKE UP TOWERS EVERYWHERE !!!! And PAY ATTENTION to what your doing ALWAYS.. Now that its out of my system.. Rest easy Operator.

Had a similar situation many years ago. We had to show the insurance adjuster I think it was last 3 weeks worth of past income that truck made and they came up with an average daily loss payment from that. It wasnt nearly what the truck could have made if it was running but, it was better than nothing. The at fault insurance dragged their feet of course so we went through our own insurance to get the truck repaired asap. Our insurance then went after them to get recouped. Good Luck with it. It can be very nerve wracking

Thanks for the compliments!!! Changed over to the lime green from the safety yellow we used for years on this one. The fuel capacity is the downfall yes I agree.I dont do too many long distance runs with this truck But when i do you notice it. I did talk with my guy at my dealer about an auxillary tank and he told me it would void the warranty. The only issues ive had were one of my trans lines for the p.t.o. solenoid was poorly installed on the up-fit and it rubbed on the front drive shaft causing a leak. also i have replaced a couple hydraulic lines for the deck tilt and one on the wheel lift extension. Other than that shes been great. I take care of her but I work her hard too. She has been dubbed "The Princess" by my friends and family